Democrats lose one of their few Governors

The US elections this week saw the Democrats lose Kentucky. This means that of the 50 Governors, 32 are now Republicans, 17 Democrats and one Independent.

The Republicans also control 31 state legislatures to 11 for the Democrats and 8 have split control.

If they can win the White House next year, they will have the presidency, the House, probably retain the Senate and most of the states. Most importantly they would be likely to get to appoint new Supreme Court Justices as Bader Gisburg will be aged 87 by 2020, Stephen Breyer 82 and Antonin Scalia 84.

Old.Mickey.Blue.Eyes

Liam H

I doubt they will retain the Senate.

But since 1994 the Republicans have invested in this enormous local government election machine that’s started paying huge dividends. I saw on the weekend sothat the Dems have lost almost a thousand state legislature seats since Obama took office.

mikenmild

A lame-duck President can still wield veto power, appoint Supreme Court justices and wield a vast array of other powers through Executive Orders. The US system depends on co-operation between the executive and legislature.

Fentex

The US system depends on co-operation between the executive and legislature.

Yes, the three branch design is intended to act as a guarantee against tyranny, but it doesn’t work as a government if they don’t otherwise cooperate and remain in uncompromising conflict.

Mind you, and I suspect Republicans had this at the back of their minds, if the federal government is dysfunctional that doesn’t mean states can’t get on with getting on. Plenty of people in the U.S with all kinds of conflicting political convictions otherwise agree that the federal authorities need pushing back and the states more independence.

It’s great news. And given that Kentucky, against it’s cultural interests, has mostly been a Dem state, it’s a warning to the Dems about the Presidential election. Just as telling is that the winner is a Christian, pro-life, and a Tea Party activist.

“If they can win the White House next year”

They will. Obama has seen to that.

” they would be likely to get to appoint new Supreme Court Justice”

That one is just as important as the Presidency. Being able to replace a Liberal with a Conservative would have a profound and positive effect on the USA’s future.

Harriet

DJP6-25

Shawn Herles 12:11 pm. Don’t underestimate Mrs Clinton’s popularity, despite her voluminous baggage. She has the Media Party in her pocket.Cruz and Carson’s recent counter punches against them are encouraging though. As for appointing Supreme Court Justices, there are usually two candidates. The hard one, and the easy one. With McConnell still in his post; nothing good is guaranteed. Paul Ryan’s reluctant elevation to Speaker is an encouraging sign though.

Ed Snack

The good thing about Carson is we at last have a black presidential candidate who’s academic record can be scrutinized; and who’s history and various conflicting statements it IS OK to investigate without being called a racist.

Isn’t it funny how that works, completely off limits to even tangentially investigate a democratic candidates background, yet it’s a mass rush to dig into Carson’s. So he makes a mistake in his autobiography and it’s pile on time; when Obama’s “autobiography” is shown to be “myth making” (polite language for mostly made up and full of distortions) it is praised a “great literature”.

And if there’s no GOP president, does that mean Hilary is inevitable ?

tom hunter

Several things to take out of this election apart from what has been mentioned so far in this thread.

First, the polling problems. The win was missed by almost everyone’s public polling, and certainly the magnitude was missed. So was this just a Kentucky problem or does it point to increasing nationwide polling problems?

Second, the GOP winner ran on an explicit promise to crush Obamacare in the state. The Democrats were gleeful, convinced they could pull the usual leftist tactic of telling people that the GOP was going to take away their benefits. The response was basically, “I’ll leave my policy next to the dumpster, you can pick it up after work“. After this what Democrat is going to run on Obamacare, especially as its premiums continue to explode upwards, as well as the co-payments and deductibles (which are not subsidised). To date, 13 of the 23 Co-operatives set up around the USA by the government (to cream off all those massive insurer profits) have failed, despite hundreds of millions in subsidies. At the rate it’s going the GOP won’t even have to vote it off the books in 2017.

Third, the Blue Dog Democrat story is finished. It worked in 2006 as Rahm Emanuel managed the nomination process around the country to select Democrat candidates who sounded like Republicans. The resulting betrayals have been so deep that the tactic will not work again for a very long time. From a cynical point of view the central group of Democrats may be satisfied that they were able to use this power to boost spending in 2007 and beyond, as well as getting Obamacare – but these types of cynical betrayals of voters are not easily forgotten and the damage has already been massive.

Fourth, between the War on Coal and the Keystone pipeline decision the other day Blue Collar Democrats now understand how much their own party despises them. Will the Obama coalition be able to cover for this growing gap, assuming the they’ll even come out for Ye Olde White Woman. That’s a wound that’s not going to heel easily. It’s going to be fascinating to watch what the big traditional unions do Hillary – or what they won’t do. The SEIU will still be safe, as “service” workers they’re not in the firing line of the Obama administration.

Fifth, Tea Party, Tea Party, Tea Party. After several years of “The Party of No”, “Obstructionism”, “Relentless Negativity”, “The Tea Party is Dead” and of course, “The Party of Old White Southern Men”, demographically doomed – I’m enjoying almost endless juicy, juicy schadenfreude.

lurker

I remain profoundly troubled and puzzled by DPF’s preference for Republicans. By NZ standards Republicans are not centre-right, they are far far right. Ronald Reagan is long dead and living reasonable Republicans like John McCain are marginalised. Democrats on the other hand are probably reasonably aligned to National and are likely a good fit for DPF (and other non-crazy people).

In particular, DPF is a social liberal and a fiscal conservative. Does he really want more extremely socially conservative, arguably borderline insane, Republican appointments to the Supreme Court?

mikenmild

It’s a contradiction, lurker. Many Kiwis seem to think that Democrats and Republicans are US versions of Labour and National. In reality, both US parties are well to the right of NZ’s National party.
The Republicans, in particular, would seem to be the antithesis of DPF’s professed liberal credentials.

lurker

> Many Kiwis seem to think that Democrats and Republicans are US versions of Labour and National.

I can understand Joe Six Pack who doesn’t take much interest in international politics thinking this. But DPF is a smart guy who talks to other smart people and it really blows my mind that he would even consider making this obvious rookie mistake!

Please David, tell us what you have in common with the bible thumping, gun loving, science distrusting, diversity dismissing, backwards looking, foreigner fearing, ‘let the kid die from leukaemia if his parents are deadbeats’ insisting, giant oil corporation good but smart silicon valley/liberal hollywood bad, women controlling, cold hearted freak show that is the Republican party in 2015.

That ones a hoot Tom. The Liberal-Left must be experiencing some serious cognitive dissonance over the fact that the new Kentucky governor’s second in command, also a Tea Party activist, is an African-American women.

I am sure I can hear the sounds of heads exploding in New York and San Francisco!

Meanwhile, my gun toting, Republican voting “redneck” relatives in the South are celebrating her election! 🙂

tom hunter

Perhaps DPF just wants to give an alternative view from all other NZ media who are invested in the narrative of the bible thumping, gun loving, science distrusting, ….…. yawn!

Or maybe he just thinks that huge government eventually screws all those other things and supporting the Democrats enables that.

I like the “diversity” argument though, still being promoted in the face of the Ancient White Vessels Of Hope currently competing for the Democrat nomination. To hear leftists talk a few years ago you’d think there was a production line of Obamas rolling off the ramps for the years ahead.

cha

cha

This going to be so much fun.
/

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s election, polls consistently showed Kentucky democrat Jack Conway leading Tea Party extremist Matt Bevin by a margin of 3 to 5 points. But on Tuesday, the unofficial election results showed a shift so dramatic that it was almost impossible to believe. Bevin suddenly and inexplicably gained nearly 15 points on election day, supposedly winning the governor’s race by a nine point margin.

[…]

For those who believe that election rigging is a baseless conspiracy, in 2011 a eight former Clay County, Kentucky officials were convicted on conspiracy charges, after it was discovered that they had rigged elections in 2002, 2004 and 2006. The guilty parties included a circuit court judge, a county magistrate, an election commissioner, a county clerk, a polling place officer, an election officer, a school superintendent. The conspiracy also included business owners who were receiving county and city contracts.